Memoria
by Gabrielle Day
Summary: After the events of the movie, God has a mission -and a gift- for Chas. Unfortunately, Chas has no memory of his former life or John. All he's got now is a bad job and a new friend who may have odd connections of her own. He's got to remember to survive.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Constantine, Hellblazer, all original characters, etc. do not belong to me. But you already knew that, right?

**Pairings:** None for any major original characters to begin with, some OC/OC, and maybe…maybe John/Angela later on. Maybe. I'm open to suggestions, lol, for I have not plotted that far ahead. No slash, however.

**Warnings**: Movieverse, spoilers for the end of the movie, AU for after the end of the movie.

**Author's note**: This is my first fic in a while, so any helpful criticism is appreciated. Please let me know what you think!

**Prologue **

Agony, mind-numbing, (and in his case skull-splitting) pain was all he knew and he wished to God it would stop. He knew John was there because of the warm weight on his shoulder. He blinked and tried to give John a half-hearted smile.

"It's not like the books, is it?" he gasped.

"No, kid. It's not." He heard John say softly.

The look on John's face made the ache settle deeper within him. He took a breath, and another, before he realized he couldn't breathe at all. The last thing he felt as John's hand squeezing his shoulder a little more tightly. He closed his eyes and was gone.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in clouds.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"Not quite." A deep voice rumbled back at him.

"Damn this place is bright." He grumbled. "So this is it, huh? I'm stuck here for all freakin' eternity?"

The deep voice just chuckled, and the clouds beneath his feet began to shift, and thunder began to roll.

"Whoa…what the hell is going on here?" he shouted.

"This isn't it. Not for you, not yet. I want that soul, Chas, and you're going to help me get it."

"What?" Chas yelled above the clouds, which were making a lot of noise in his opinion.

"Goodbye, Chas. Say hello to John when he finds you."

_John_, Chas thought, the name wiping out every other thought from his mind.

Then the clouds disappeared from under him, and there was nothing.


	2. Oriens

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine. Phooey. :-p

**A/N: **All warnings/parings etc. remain the same. I'll try to keep this moving at a fairly quick pace. I'll do the best I can. Feedback is appreciated!

**Chapter I: Oriens **

_Six Months Later_

"Order up!" Chas said loudly, shoving the plate of food down the counter.

"Chas, how many times do I have to tell you not to shout? We are a curbside eatery, not a diner! I'm five feet away at all times so quit yelling!"

Chas grumbled under his breath. "Sorry Mr. Chen."

He was sick of eggs and pancakes and being five feet away from his boss at all times. And that was five feet too close, if anyone asked him. But nobody asked him anything unless it was for extra syrup.

No one asked him why he could speak Latin fluently. No one asked him why he had a strange tattoo on his right wrist. No one asked him if he had any family, why he lived alone, or if someone his age worked full time at a 'curbside eatery' that only served breakfast food.

And no one could tell him why all these things were true, either. As far as he knew, nobody cared. He had just woken up in the hospital one day. No one knew who he was ore where he came from. All they knew was that his name was Chas and the bill was (miraculously) paid.

When they released him, all he could do was wander. So wander he did, and for two weeks before he begged, wheedled, and convinced Mr. Chen to hire him. All Chas had cared about was getting money so he could go back to eating on a regular basis. Of course, he then realized he probably ought to find some place to crash. Only problem with that was he didn't know anybody to crash with, and his minimal salary definitely wouldn't get him an apartment, even in the bad part of town.

Chas had one option. It stung his pride (damn had that stung), but it was what he had to do. He slept on the ground between the two sides of the eatery, and no one was the wiser. It was dry, after all.

Then one Saturday morning, a girl walked by. She then walked by again. She did it a third time before finally sitting on one of the stools. He had gazed at him, as if studying him, before quietly ordering a plate of pancakes.

They had got to talking, and Chas found himself telling her about his lack of living space. She had said she had a friend who knew someone who knew someone, and a week later he was set up in a swank little place on the east side. It was close to work, close to the library, and best of all, it was free. He decided not to ask how she'd worked that out.

So for the last five months he'd been saving most of his money from the eater and some odd jobs he'd grabbed. Chas figured he had a nice little stash and he might try to get in to the community college in the spring. He figured, for not having a memory, he had it pretty good. He had a job, a home, and if not a girlfriend, a good friend. He had a relatively normal life.

"Hey! Boy! Quit zoning out and get me those eggs!" Chen shouted at him.

"I'm going, I'm going." Chas grumbled. "And you could stand to not shout yourself." He added under his breath.

"What was that?" Chen nearly bellowed, causing Chas and a customer to cringe.

"Is he causing trouble for you again, Mr. Chen?" A soft voice asked.

"Mahina! Can't you do something with him? Get him laid or something! The boy needs to focus!"

"Mind your own damn business!" Chas groaned. He turned his back on his boss and his friend and started her usual order.

Mahina grinned. "I've told you that Chas and I aren't going out."

"So?" Chen demanded. "You aren't married, are you?"

"No…" she drawled. "But let's just say I'm claimed property."

"Hmph. It's a waste I tell you." Chen muttered, leaving the conversation to serve another customer.

Chas plopped her plate in front of her and watched her begin to butter the pancakes liberally. She glanced up at him and grinned again.

"Such a waste, am I? My monogamy doesn't seem to stop him from taking my money." She said playfully.

Chas raised an eyebrow at her. "You know that sounded bad."

Mahina laughed and swatted at him. She pushed auburn hair off her shoulder to keep it out of her syrup. "Don't be nasty. I would never sleep with your boss."

"Thank God. I would have a freakin' heart attack."

"Oh, really?"

He tapped his chest. "Fo' sure."

She rolled her eyes and ate her pancakes.

Chas took the opportunity to eye her momentarily. He wondered about the mystery man she alluded to. She had never talked about him in detail, and he doubted if he was even in the city.

"We still on for the library this afternoon?" she asked, oblivious to his pensive mood.

"Yeah, sure thing. You sure you can get us in?"

She nodded emphatically. "I used to work for Clive, the librarian in charge of restorations. He called this morning to confirm we were coming. He warned me, though. Said this book is pretty scary. You sure you wanna see it?"

"Trust me. I can handle anything." Chas said, with a confidence he didn't quite feel was his own.

Mahina smiled as she dug around in her purse for her wallet. She pushed her plate away and dropped some bills on the counter.

"I'll meet you later then." She said. She leaned over the counter and gave him a quick hug. "Bye!"

He smiled. "Bye." He said with a wave.

Chas picked up the cash and pocketed the extra she always left for him. He wiped the counter down with a spare rag and shivered suddenly as chills ran down his spine. He glanced around and shrugged to himself; going back to cleaning the counter.

He didn't see the tall man in a black trench coat walking away.


	3. Incubo

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews you guys! It's really encouraging. Please continue to feel free to give any constructive criticism and such. Enjoy!

Chapter II: Incubo

Chas took the steps up to his floor two at a time, cursing Chen under his breath. His boss always managed to get in a snit at the worst possible times. Now he was going to be late –again- and he'd sworn up and down to Mahina that he'd e on time.

"Freakin' moron. He'll probably make my check be mysteriously late, too." Chase mumbled as he jiggled his key in the lock.

He pushed the door open and nearly fell over the cat, who mewed at him and actually sounded bored.

"Don't have time, Kid." Chas apologized.

He ran into the bedroom, throwing his shirt somewhere to the left as he did so. He hoped Mahina wouldn't mind him being late again, but had to shower and get rid of that mid-day heat and pancake smell. Chas shook his head to himself as Kid mewed petulantly behind him.

The cat had been Mahina's idea. He'd brushed it off because he rally didn't want to spend the money and he didn't want to take care of one. Chase told her he didn't need companionship, responsibility, or a cat to protect him. He'd actually thought she'd been stretching a little far for suggesting a cat…for protection. Whoever heard of a watch cat?

Chas had dismissed it completely from his mind. However, as things were tending to go in his life, it wasn't over that simply. Two weeks after Mahina had made her suggestion, he was walking home from work in the pouring rain when he came across a very soggy cardboard box. He was just going to walk by it when the box meowed at him. Chas had gone back to the box and in it found a small calico with brilliant green eyes. He'd felt bad for it, and wasn't about to admit he felt a connection with it. But what else could he do? He knew he couldn't leave it there. So, rather begrudgingly, he took it home, bathed it, fed it, and named her Kid.

Mahina had laughed when he told her, and said something about getting closer. He had no idea what she had meant, and he seriously doubted Kid could protect him from anything. But sometimes…sometimes he thought that cat was up to something.

Chas showered, changed, grabbed his necklace and ran out the door. Thirty seconds later he was back to pour Kid a bowl of food and grab his wallet. He said goodbye to Kid and locked the door behind him.

The library was only a ten minute walk from his place, so Chas set out at an easy pace. He couldn't drive, and couldn't afford a car, so he figured he'd just learn later. Chas liked walking through the city, especially near dusk. Sometimes he thought he could sense things like whispers of who he used to be. He knew it was ridiculous, and no one was looking for him or coming for him.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Mahina saw him from at least thirty feet away, trying not to draw attention to himself. She had to give credit where credit was due, people didn't seem to notice him despite his outfit which was conspicuous in its own right. Who in their right mind would wear black pants and a black trench coat in Los Angeles in the middle of August? But none of the other people who were wearing shorts, tank tops, and sandals seemed to notice.

_Maybe he just has one of those faces. All though, it's a very nice face, _she thought. However, she knew perfectly well it was probably his aura that kept most people away from him.

She smoothed her pink skirt and ran a hand through her hair to push her bangs back. As she came closer to him, he pulled a cigarette out of his coat pocket and lit it.

John Constantine glanced up at the girl he'd been trailing for the last couple of weeks and was mildly surprised to find her looking right at him. He inhaled deeply off his cigarette and let it out slowly. She was the only link he had to getting Chas back. He'd seen Chas, heard people address him as Chas, but whenever he tried to follow the teen away from the place he worked he lost him.

The only time John had gotten near him was the first time he'd seen him. It was late at night and John had been drunk. He hadn't been sure how far away from home he was, so he kept struggling forward, hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. He had looked up and to this day swore his heart had stopped when he saw the kid walking in the opposite direction. John had stood there and watched him go by until he disappeared around the corner.

Two days later he had decided anything was possible and spent every spare second looking. All his looking had finally paid off, and if he couldn't find where Chas lived, this girl could.

All of a sudden she was standing practically under his nose, just inches away from his face. Her perfume radiated off her neck and shoulders in the late afternoon heat, and he found himself staring into slate-grey eyes that seemed infinitely deep.

_Like cats, half in and half out all ready._

His eyes widened in realization and her pink tainted lips quirked in amusement. She reached up and plucked the cigarette from his lips.

"You shouldn't be doing this. It's bad for your health." She said softly. She took a drag and exhaled.

"Some things you just can't leave behind." He replied.

Mahina shrugged. The smoke mingled between them, heavy with humidity.

"Today's not a good day, Constantine. You still don't have all the pieces." She said.

She dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it underneath her heel. She could see the library steps across and down the street over his shoulder. Chas would be there soon, and she couldn't risk Constantine being around. Mahina pushed passed him and started walking away.

John reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Tell me why he can't see me." He growled.

"I can't." Mahina said, pulling away from him. "I can't tell you anything. If I do, the rules are broken and you'll loose, Constantine."

"Loose what?" he demanded, struggling to keep his hold on her.

"Damn you, let go of me." She hissed. People were starting to look.

"Loose what?" he repeated, fingers digging into her skin.

Finally, she wrenched away from him. "Everything, Constantine. You'll loose everything."

They both jerked in surprise as the street light above them flickered. She backed away from him; he let her go.

"I'm not giving up." John said.

"You shouldn't." She told him, before turning around and quickly heading for the library.

John watched her and looked beyond her. His gaze softened as he caught sight of Chas staring back at him from a distance. As he stood there, he knew Chas still didn't see him, not really. The distance between them was mere yards; the space between them was endless.

And there were others who planned to keep it that way.


	4. Infusco

A/N: Hey, gang. I am very, very sorry this is so long in coming and very, very sorry the chapter is short. My Nana has been in the hospital for the last two weeks, so I have not had a lot of time to focus on writing. However, she is doing better and I should have another chapter up by the end of this weekend. Thanks for sticking with me and thank you for all the encouragement! I always accept constructive criticism, so keep it coming. Enjoy!

Chapter III: Infusco

Chas stared. He stared across the street, stared at the people arguing. He recognized Mahina, knew he should be concerned for her as she struggled against the grip…his grip… his…did he know that? He couldn't tell from here…couldn't make the shape out…couldn't see the face…

Chas collapsed to his knees, one hand pressed against his chest. He felt like a chasm had ripped open inside him and the hollowness was eating away at him, carving out little pieces of him that he couldn't afford to lose again.

"No…" he gasped. Images flashed in his mind, but there was nothing for him to hold onto. He was disappearing, and suddenly he knew that this wasn't the first time. This was what happened to him before. This…_happened _to him before; it wasn't some freak accident, it was _intentional _because he had been…he had been with…

Mahina was halfway across the street, halfway between one end of the spectrum and the other, when she realized what was happening to Chas.

"Oh, shit." She muttered. She broke into a run, not bothering to see if Constantine was still behind her or not.

The earth rumbled, the angry vibrations shaking the street and throwing Mahina off balance. She forced herself forward, ignoring people as they cried out in alarm and headed for doorways. Doorways would do nothing to protect them if this happened now. It couldn't happen now, not like this, not without Constantine to balance it. She knew she was running out of time as she hit the steps of the library, the sound of her heels growing hollow as they struck the granite. His eyes were already black and fathomless.

Her body collided with his, knocking them sideways but not all the way over. Her nails dug into his skin and her breath was hot on his neck giving him footholds back into a tangible reality. He grasped at her, fighting his way out but it wasn't enough. He could feel himself coming apart at the seams.

"Fatum claudo!" she shouted. She repeated it, over and over until she thought she'd loose her voice, or worse her mind. She could feel frustration rising in her body. This was supposed to be working, she had the power to do this!

It wasn't enough. Not for Chas, not without…

A hand descended on her shoulder and sent a shock straight through her body and into the body she was holding onto. Chas cried out and went slack. Mahina wasn't prepared to have all his weight and he slid boneless to the stone beneath him.

For an endless second, the world was still. Chas lay motionless on the ground. Constantine stared at him, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"Is he…" he whispered, fingers still clutching the girl's shoulder.

"No." Mahina gasped, sweat dripping off her forehead. She resituated herself to sit and lean her elbows back on the step behind her. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out. "Get out of here, Constantine."

He shot her a dark look and moved past her.

"Are you ready to deal with the ramifications?" she asked softly. "He's not exactly the same, you know."

John knelt by Chas and reached out as if to touch his forehead before pulling back. "Do you know what it's like to lose your closest friend? The only person you really trust? This is _Chas_." He looked at her. "I don't know what you know about me or him or anything that happened, but I'm done waiting. I'm taking him home, and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop it."

John finally let his hand fall to Chas's forehead and sighed. He slid an arm under Chas's shoulders, and one under his knees. As gently as he could he picked the younger man up, and Mahina was sure that at that moment God Himself could descend and offer John the ticket up and the man would refuse.

She forced herself up and glared at him. "I am going to be in _so _much trouble for this." She grumbled. "Look, go ahead and take him. This was bound to happen eventually. But pay very close attention to what I'm going to tell you, 'cause I'm only going to say this once and if you screw up you'll get a bigger version of what just happened here."

She leaned close to him and lowered her voice. "The first thing he's got to hear from you when he wakes up is his name. Call him by name, or kiss this dimension goodbye, got that?"

John nodded. "Why?"

"I don't write the rules, John, I just follow them. Now get out of here before we all get killed."

Constantine decided that more questions could wait. He could find the girl again if he needed too. He turned and walked away from the building, ignoring all the people who had stopped to stare at them.

Mahina rubbed her temples and glared at the few remaining bystanders who were wondering why the boy had collapsed and where the tall man in black was taking him.

"What are you staring at?" she challenged, and they dispersed.

She had to shower and change and then go face an angry Half-breed.

Michael was going to kill her.


	5. Veritas

A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Just to let ya'll know…I don't know very much about Catholicism or Greek mythology. So, since this is AU anyway, the majority of the mythos here is completely made up, so don't try to pass your Greek history final with it, folks. Also, in this story, I followed the pattern of half-breeds sharing names with archangels, but they are different entities. I think I'd be divinely electrocuted if I called them the same. So they're different. Ah, the joys of fictional license. Enjoy!

Chapter IV: Veritas

John furiously paced the floor of his apartment, pausing only to crush his cigarette in the ashtray and light another one. He took a moment to be disgusted with himself for smoking half a pack in two hours, but quickly let it go. He was slightly preoccupied with the fact that Chas had been asleep for over two hours and had shown no signs of waking up. If he was in a coma or dying or trapped in some alternate dimension he was going to kill that bitch with his own two hands.

He should have known it would be too easy to just get him back and walk away. There was always a catch, always.

He had to have answers, and he had to have them _now, _before this went on any longer, in case Chas was slipping away from him again and he didn't even know it.

The one person he knew would have answers was Michael, Gabriel's replacement. The only problem was he couldn't leave Chas alone.

John paced some more, worried, and killed more cigarettes.

Mahina stalked the streets of LA, secure in the night that had fallen. Her dark outfit made her virtually unnoticeable to the other people who were around. The silver cross around her neck occasionally caught the moonlight, revealing the blood red lines that ran through it.

She glanced at her watch and quickened her pace. As she passed an alleyway, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She squeaked in surprise, but allowed herself to be pulled along when she recognized her assailant.

"What do you want?" she whispered.

The man shoved her through a doorway and into an ostentatiously decorated office.

"What the hell are you thinkin', woman?" he growled.

"Midnite, give it a rest. Like you didn't think Constantine would find him?"

"In his own time, yeah he would've. And when he'd figured out the damn rules for his own damn self, Mahi. Do you know how much trouble you're in? You may have tipped the scales! You're supposed to be neutral!"

She poured herself a drink from his bar and shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm an independent party. And there was some weird stuff going on when I got to Ravenscar, might I add. I think the damage was already done."

He rolled his eyes. "That ain't for you to decide, sugar. Your orders were to protect Chas until Constantine came to claim him."

Mahina opened her mouth to argue that technically, he had, but Midnite cut her off.

"And when he knew how to claim him on his own. Without anyone telling him. Because someone telling him was _against the rules._" Midnite stressed. "Michael is gonna be spitfire mad at you, child. And Raphe…"

She whirled on him. "Don't even start with me about him." She hissed. "Raphael can't give a damn about what I do. He's my so called guardian and then vanishes when I'm sixteen? I don't think so. He could be dead or cast out or have been replaced for all I know. I asked Gabriel, I've asked Michael, and both of them said they didn't know which is bull. Especially for Michael, since he knows everything."

Midnite actually laughed, deep and clear. "Oh, child. He don't know everything." He winked at her. "If he did, he'd be God."

Mahina rolled her eyes and sipped her drink. Midnite shook his head and leaned over to pick up his phone when it started to ring. Mahina politely turned around and pretended to read labels on the bottles at the bar to give him a sense of privacy. She tuned out most of the conversation, only getting enough to gather that Midnite was being talked into something he didn't want to do. He put the phone down and sighed heftily.

"Well, child, I've got to go. Places to see, people to do. You should go talk to Michael." He said.

"A funny thing happened on the way to the cathedral…" she said airily.

He waved her off. "Just remember, every action has an opposite and equal reaction."

She put her glass down and grabbed her purse. "Thanks for the science lesson. Ciao."

"Bye, Mahi." He sighed after she'd gone. "Oh, child. If you only knew what you've set in motion."

Mahina pushed open the heavy oaken doors that lead to the library in the back of the Cathedral. The two priests back there paid her little attention, only taking time to be mildly surprised it was a quiet entrance. Usually the young woman came charging in, yelling at the top of her lungs. Though, to her credit, Michael was usually yelling at her before she got _in _the door.

She strode past them, not saying a word until she got to the fireplace, and the desk Michael had placed in front of it. Unfortunately, Mahina thought grimly, he had succumbed to the stereotypical authority figure type chair: tall and made out of dark leather. Mahina rapped her knuckles on the desk.

"Hello…Mike…"

There was no response from the other side of the red leather.

"Yo! Michael!" She reached over and gave the chair a shove, revealing that the half-breed was, in fact, not there.

Mahina whirled around to the priests. "Where is he?" she demanded.

They glanced at each other and shrugged. "We don't know, Ms. Elliot. We haven't seen him in several days." One of them said.

She rolled her eyes. "Fabulous."

Mahina scanned the paperwork on Michael's desk before wandering off towards one of the shelves. Her fingers trailed over the spines, and she closed her eyes, letting energy flow off her fingers and pass between her and the books. It was why she had always worked in libraries or book stores. Books were complete; the energy they created was calm. Her fingers slid off the spines and onto glass.

Mahina's grey eyes shot open and she yanked her hand away from the glass case as if she'd been burned. The figurines –if one could call them that- were all artifacts of some kind, all of them contained dark, violent powers that had been captured by the half-breeds or people like Mahina who worked for them. Demons, creatures of black magic, even some half-breeds from the hell side had been captured in the vessels locked behind the glass. Generally speaking, most of them were minor. Minor meaning they couldn't cause the destruction of the known world. There were only four that had that power, known in the ancient world as the titans. Four hell beasts that had devastating elemental powers, but had been subdued by the heaven sided half breeds of the time. The half breeds had cast them into small iron figures that were locked by a divine seal in the case in the divinely protected Cathedral and yet…

"One's missing…" she breathed.

A small boom sounded from behind her, and Michael appeared in a flash of short, spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and an expensive business suit.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he shouted. "Do you have any idea how much damage control I had to do? His complete destructive force was nearly unleashed on the unsuspecting world because you can't –no- you _refuse _to do what I tell you to do! This boy coming back to life was an absolute disaster to begin with, but you've just ripped the lid off the box, Pandora! Congratulations, I hope you're happy that the two Stooges are back together because…are you even _listening _to me?"

"Michael…" she whispered.

He was behind her in a split second. "What? What's wrong?" he asked, worried by the tone of her voice.

"Tertura, the earth beast isn't in the case. Why is it not in the case?" she asked.

Michael felt actual fear clutch at him. "Oh, shit." He whispered.

The library door was flung open. Mahina squeezed her eyes shut and Michael sighed.

"Now is not a good time, John." The Half-breed said quietly.

"What the hell is she doing here? In all the times I've talked to you," Constantine growled, "you never once mentioned you knew her. I showed you her damn picture, for God's sake and you lied to my face, Michael?"

Michael rubbed his temple. "It was necessary…"

"Necessary? How could it be _necessary_…"

"Where's Chas?" Mahina said, forcing herself away from the case. She glanced around, her gaze becoming accusatory. "Where is he?" she demanded again. "You didn't…"

"Midnite's with him, as if you care." John said darkly.

"You're damn straight I care! Had he woken up yet? Has he remembered?"

"No! That's why I came here! It's been hours and he hasn't even stirred! I want to know what's wrong with him and I want to know right now!"

The lights in the building flickered ominously, and the ground started to rumble as it had when Chas had first seen John.

"Crikey." Mahina grumbled.

"Is that bad?" John asked wryly.

"Bad? Bad doesn't even begin to describe it." The girl said.

"Mahi, do you…" Michael started, but she stopped him.

"I don't have enough power to take down a titan-creature. Even if Raphe showed up we wouldn't make it." She said.

"Uh, excuse me, I am a professional, or am I not in your realm of expertise?" John asked.

Michael's wings twitched. "You can't take him either."

"Why the hell not?"

"I can't tell you."

"Oh, for God's sake…" Mahina exclaimed.

"Why not?" John demanded.

"Because, some of the rules haven't been broken yet." Michael stressed, glaring at Mahina.

"Oh, go ahead and blame me. I did what I could for as long as I could and, oh, look now you've got a freakin' titan on the loose, and oh, a Seal with destructive powers that doesn't know he's got destructive powers, and oh, a Cornerstone who has no idea what's going on!" she shouted.

"Would you please shut up? You do nothing but cause everywhere you go! He doesn't know what's going on because he isn't supposed to! There are things about Chas that both of you don't know and that's why it was damned secret in the first place!" Michael shouted back, as the lights went out completely.

The room fell silent and the earth vibrated beneath them. Mahina struggled to find a shelf or anything to orient her so she could find her way towards the door.

Michael sighed. Humans were so difficult. He stiffened when he felt a warm breath against his ear.

"What do I not know about Chas?" John demanded. His tone was quiet and dangerous.

"He has been granted a dark power, Constantine. One he does not have the ability to control. If you wake him, you will condemn not only yourself, but the entire world."

"Oh, please." Mahina said, sounding far away. "Don't be a drama king about it. Seals learn to wield their power like anyone else."

Michael gave a disdainful snort. "Like anyone else indeed. You do realize that he could be the most powerful of all of you."

"Such is his destiny, Mike." Mahina said quietly. She found the door and pushed it open. Light flooded in from the sanctuary and Mahina peered through the stained glass in an attempt to see what was going on outside.

Constantine gripped Michael near his collar bone. "You're failing to explain yourself." He growled.

"Don't worry about that now." Mahina said. "You've got bigger problems. Come look."

The two men joined her by the door, Constantine's grip still powerful near Michael's neck.

"The sky is not supposed to be green."

"That is the power of Tertura. He controls the earth element, and as such is one of the most powerful beings on the face of the planet." Mahina said.

"Great." Constantine said. "What's the black, then?"

Michael and Mahina looked further to the left to see swirling black energy rising towards the sky.

Michael groaned. "That would be Chas."

That was all John needed to hear. He ran out of the Cathedral, not understanding anything that was going on. It didn't matter, not if Chas was in danger.

Mahina and Michael watched him; let him go. She turned to him.

"Are you happy?" she asked.

"Why on earth would I be happy?"

"Once John gets Chas to remember, the balance of Seals and Cornerstones will be back in place. The damage Gabriel did will be undone." She hesitated at the look on his face. "Right, Mikey?"

Michael reached out and brushed his fingers against the side of her face. "Raphe's alive, I promise you that." He said quietly. "But Gabriel's mess won't be finished. Mahi, he's the only one who could have gotten Tertura out of the case."

"Oh, snap." She whispered. "And the first people he'd go after…"

"Would be John and Chas." Michael finished for her.

"The only one who can stop Tertura is Chas, isn't it?"

Michael shook his head. "No. Chas and Constantine are the only ones who can stop it."

John ran towards the center of the swirling, black vortex, taking note that almost everyone and everything else was trying to get away from it.

"The things I do for you, kid." John mumbled. He pushed forward, knowing that Chas was at the middle of this monstrous energy.

That was something else they were going to have to deal with.

John stopped moving when he caught sight of the teenager, the gale force winds making it hard for him to stand upright.

Chas was on his knees, hands pressed against his head. The energy seemed to be emanating from his very being, and it was very clear that he was not controlling it. It was controlling him.

"Chas!" he screamed above the wind. "Chas! Hang on!"

From outside the blackness that had overtaken his mind, Chas heard. His heart clenched with his first taste of hope since he'd died in Ravenscar, and he began to fight against the darkness. There was so much trying to push in on his mind, so many memories…

"_Chas! Chas!" _

Chas latched onto that memory. The one he knew would get him out of this bottomless pit he'd been sucked into. The one he knew would always come for him.

"_John..." _

And the balance shifted.


	6. Equus

Author's notes: Goodness, it has been a long time, hasn't it? Many things have happened and gone on…the endless cycle of things. I had decided not to continue this story; however, thanks to all of your lovely reviews, I have been revived to the effort, lol. Special thanks to Faith-Catherine and SilverRosePhoenix for poking the ashes. So, thanks to all for sticking with this story, and enjoy!

Oh, yes, warnings and disclaimers remain the same.

Chapter V: Equus

The screaming was unbearable. People were screaming in fear, their terror palpable to those with even very little empathetic sensitivity. John Constantine, calm and collectedness embodied, was screaming to reach his young friend and companion (and so much more he had yet to realize). Now Chas was screaming back, fighting the blackness so close to engulfing him; reaching out to his mentor, protector, _stabilizer._ Michael was screaming at her over the roar, trying to tell her something…trying…

None of these screams concerned Mahina, as the ground began to pitch and the roar began to grow and echo off the downtown buildings even as the windows shattered and rained on them. She stood in the middle of the street, her soul troubled. Mahina waited, her ear turned toward the unseen, the middle ground Constantine was so famous for traversing. Mahina knew the only way to break the seal on the figurine was to take it to the middle ground, the grey area that wasn't quite hell or heaven. The middle ground was the buffer between those places and earth, and it was the only place to break a divine seal. It was obvious the seal had been broken because of the green sky and the earthquakes.

"And it hasn't even broken into this plane." She said with a grim smile.

Michael stumbled over and grabbed her shoulders. "Mahina! Can't you…"

"No." She repeated, frowning.

"Shut up and listen to me for once!" He snapped. "The Seals! If all of you were here could you block Gabriel from bringing it in?"

"I don't know! But that's not an option anyway! If you hadn't noticed, there are only two of us present and Chas is in a swirling black vortex!"

Michael shook his head. "There's no other way. If we can't fight it, we have to keep it away! I'll be back!" He vanished in a pop of light.

"Oh sure. Take your time. Bring me back a latte." Mahina grumbled. She shut her eyes and refocused carefully on the middle ground. She clenched her fists and waited for the scream that would bother her most.

John was almost crawling to cover the last few paces between him and the teenager in front of him. He could hear Chas's ragged breathing, he could see his eyes begin to focus and loose a little of the blackness. As he inched forward, John would swear that he could hear Chas's heartbeat.

Chas watched John try to get closer, second by agonizing second, with a kind of detachedness. Somewhere in the back of his exhausted mind, he thought he should help John out a little, move towards him, but the thought wasn't making a connection with his weary body.

"John…" he whispered.

That was all the impetuous John needed, and he gathered his energy, pulling all his strength into his muscles, and launched himself at Chas. As soon as his arms tightened around the teen, it was like an explosion went off inside Chas and all the pieces…_almost all the pieces_…fell into place. The dark energy vanished instantaneously, the wind subsided, the ground stopped shuddering, and the pair fell to the sidewalk with Chas's head on John's shoulder.

John lay there and stared at the green sky, holding Chas tightly against him. He was afraid to move and afraid to breathe as if he broke the moment Chas would disappear. Above him, John felt Chas stir and press his face into his dress shirt and felt the teen's finger's clench into his jacket. Far below him, he could feel the tremors begin to move through the earth again. They had to get up, no rest for the wicked.

Chas felt warm and safe for the first time in a very long time. And now…now that he remembered…he squeezed his eyes shut and hid his face against John's shirt hoping he wouldn't see the tears that escaped him and eased down his skin.

John noticed when Chas's tears soaked into his shirt and suddenly felt very unsure of himself. He tilted his face as if to press a kiss to Chas's head and let out a puff of air that ruffled the curls when he didn't. His grip tightened for a moment, then John let go with one arm to push himself up on one elbow, bringing the teen with him. When they were in a sitting position, which was slightly awkward with John still supporting the majority of Chas's weight, John let out a heavy sigh, smiled softly and said, "Hey, kid."

Chas looked up at him and had to swallow before he could talk. "Hey yourself." He rasped.

"Are you over your spontaneous combustion phase?"

"Shut up." Chas grumbled. There was a pause before Chase spoke again. "What the hell took you so long, anyway?"

Then it came, the low keening sound that made Mahina's hair stand on end. It was a death call, a scream that sounded as if it had to craw up through a thousand graves to break free. The earthquakes started again, and Mahina was jerked forward at the unexpected movement. Her breath caught and she realized that the interlude occurred because the balance shift had been felt in the other realms when Constantine had calmed Chas. Gabriel knew the balance had changed, and who it had changed to. The scream got louder and a ripping noise was added to the air.

John looked up at the sound of cloth being torn, and saw Mahina standing and facing them maybe twenty feet away. He glanced past her and narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell?" he murmured. Chas turned his head.

Mahina realized Constantine was staring past her and she whirled around to see what looked like the air itself splitting in two.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. She had been so focused on the beast making entry; she forgot to pay attention to the point of entry. She cupped her hands her eyes widened, turning black.

"Claudo, iamdiu, recuso!" She cried out. A blackness reached out of her hand and wove itself around the tear forming between dimensions. The tear reduced in size marginally, but did not disappear.

Mahina growled in the back of her throat. "Anytime now, Michael. Claudo, iamdiu, recuso!"

It had the same affect the second time, only the tear was increasing faster than she could decrease it. She alone was not enough to stop this monstrosity from entering the mortal realm.

Chas felt something stir within him, and he cringed against it. He recognized it as the feeling that started before he became a human tornado the last time. Only now, it didn't seem so big or so uncontrollable. In fact…the words he heard her saying…he somehow recognized them. His eyes slowly darkened as he echoed Mahina's seal.

John frowned. "Chas? Don't do that. Chas?"

More rips formed in the air mere feet away from where Mahina was standing. John could tell that the power Mahina was sending had gotten stronger with Chas's contribution, but it wasn't enough. It was like trying to plug a leaking boat with only one person's fingers.

And a horrific scream forced its way through the holes, making the bigger, shaking the buildings and blowing down park trees, and causing Mahina to stagger backwards. She was about to give it up, to tell Constantine to take Chas and run like hell (not that it would help, but hey, what else could she tell him) when she heard a distinct popping noise behind her.

Michael stood next to where Constantine and Chas were sitting; only he wasn't alone. A young girl with blonde curls and green eyes, no more than six or seven years old, stood next to him. The girl let go of the Half-breed's hand and jumped forward, nodded at Mahina as she did so.

John inhaled sharply as a snout –at least he assumed that was a snout- poked through the largest hole. Its giant nostrils flared, and dark green and brown mottled skin folded away from lines of yellow teeth as if it was sneering at them. He drew his eyes away from all of the teeth and upwards to see its face as it came through. John half expected to see red eyes glaring at him out of the void, but he was caught by surprise when a spiteful blue gaze met his own.

_Gabriel. _

His eye contact was broken when three young voices rose together above the din, Chas's included.

"_Claudo, iamdiu, recuso_!"

Tertura the earth beast roared in anger as the seal surrounded him and pushed him back into the middle ground. A second outcry from the Seals closed all the holes but the one Tertura was still fighting to get through. A third round forced him back and sealed the dimension completely.

The sky above them slowly turned reddish pink to show the very end of a beautiful Californian sunset.

Mahina collapsed in an ungraceful heap on the cement. "I so do not get paid enough to do this." She grumbled.

"Mahi!" the young girl squeaked happily and launched herself into the older girl's arms.

She patted the blonde head. "Hey, Nora. Long time no see."

The girl, Nora, glared at Michael. "It's his fault."

Michael threw his hands in the air. "Of course it is."

John looked down at Chas, who was fast asleep. He glared at them all. "Now will one of you explain to me what the hell is going on here?"

Michael and Mahina looked at each other. And looked at each other. And looked at each other…Michael finally sighed and looked away in defeat. "Fine. Let's get everyone inside and cleaned up. Then, you'll have the truth."

"The whole truth?" John demanded.

"And no thing but. So help me." Michael agreed.

A set of brown eyes watched the little group slip into the cathedral. He smiled softly. Soon, his time was soon.

A/N: Next chapter, Seals and Cornerstones explained, I promise!


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